Memoirs of a Houkan
by Hinaku
Summary: It's Memoirs of a Geisha. Only, with boys. And Naruto. xx How much more twisted can you get? I won't say more, because I feel that the best part of this story is the mystery of who is who. Please give it a try. It's, um, shounenai. Just a warning.
1. The Okiya

Memoirs of a Houkan

This is a story set in the Memoirs of a Geisha universe. In fact, it's the story in Memoirs of a Geisha, only with some twists and a fully Naruto, boy-love centric cast. Though I am sure anyone can enjoy the story, some significances will be overlooked by people who have not read or seen Memoirs of a Geisha. Um, this is my first attempt at a multi-chapter, serious fanfic. Please tell me how I am doing. 3

**Author's Note:** _'houkan' is technically Japanese for 'jester', but it is considered the male equivalent of the female geisha. There's actually a fascinating history behind male and female geisha, but it's a long story. I'm going to play my poetic license and pretend that houkan are exactly like geisha, only male. :D So there will still be the dancing and the beautiful kimono and excessive make-up. And my view of geisha are relatively warped. But it's a Naruto fanfic. I's warped by default. So there. Please enjoy. Oh, and I stop using the word 'houkan' and switch to 'geisha' partway through. xx Don't mind me.

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I once lived a different life in a different world, bearing a different name. I lead a quiet life by the sea, with my fisherman father and loving mother and my beautiful older brother. The four of us were happy together, scraping by on what my mother could earn and what my father caught for the day. My brother and I eagerly helped out when we could. For a time, we were in paradise. But of course, in life, change is the only constant. Like the rolling tides and the unpredictable currents, our lives were swept into disorder one cold fall.

It began with a cough, as though the crisp fall air had caught within Mother's lungs. We were so certain it would pass and that she would be healthy again soon. Time wore on, however, and her condition only worsened. We did everything we could, sold our possessions one by one until we had nothing and no money to pay for her medicine. That night, father threw the fish back into the sea and we all went hungry. He said it was to show us what emptiness was.

The next day, the tide came for us, closing in over our heads, threatening to sweep us away. It came in the form of cargo cart bound for the city, Gatou-san at the reins. This time, we were the cargo. The troubled skies wept openly for us, soaking the rags we had for clothes and chilling our sickly bodies to the bone. It is strange how easily you can see tears running down someone's face even while it rains. Though our faces were wet with the pouring rain, we could see Father's bitter grief slide down his cheeks. My brother held me tightly to his chest as I screamed for home.

"Otousan!" I wept, my small hand grappling for his. He grasped it and held on tightly, holding it in his until the cart began to move and tore us apart. I watched the dim light coming from the windows of our small cottage fade into the distance, my father's slouched silhouette breaking my heart.

"_Otousan!_"

We rode all night, out of the country I had known my entire life, into an unfamiliar city glittering with lit lanterns and candles. The time that passed then was a blur to me, the sights and sounds all melting together as I continued to tremble and cry out of fear. All the while, my sweet brother held me and whispered softly into my ears that everything would be just fine. Mother had always said that my brother was like a sakura tree, deeply rooted and unshakable. I was like water, she used to say, always flowing, always moving, my current adapting to the course laid out to me. And, she would add, when trapped, I would carve my own path.

After a while, we arrived at a large building bearing an insignia of a circular fan. Gatou-san stepped out and helped us off the back of the cart, taking us to the door. He knocked and a young woman came to the door, looking concerned.

"Shh, don't disturb Tsunade-sama!" she hissed, "Are these the fisherman's sons?"

Gatou-san nodded and pushed us both toward the light. The woman peered at us intently, accessing and scrutinizing our every feature. Finally, she pointed to me.

"We'll take the younger one, not the other."

My eyes widened as the woman's hand wrapped around my wrist and jerked me away from my brother. Though he tried to grab for me, Gatou-san took him by the shoulders and held him back.

"Kimimaro!" I whimpered, straining to grasp his hand again, "Oniisan, don't leave me! Kimimaro!"

"Roka!" he cried back, also reaching for me as Gatou-san wrestled him away. His eyes were panicked beneath the thin veil of silver hair that had fallen over his face. I remember his desperation clearly. I did not want to be alone.

"Kimimaro!"

The woman finally managed to pull me through the door and she closed it behind her. By then I had cried so much that my very bones ached. My very soul ached.

"Come," the woman said to me as she tried to straighten my posture and give order to my hair. "We are going to see Okaasan."

She ushered me through the unfamiliar, winding corridors that smelled of musky incense. I was brought before a translucent door that emitted a flickering, golden glow. Someone within was casting a shadow upon the thin paper, an imposing form drinking out of a sake bottle. I shivered.

"Don't speak, I will answer for you. And keep your head bowed - never look directly at Okaasan," she warned me before rapping on the door frame lightly.

"Eh? Shizune?" the voice within asked.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama! I've brought our new arrival!"

"Mm, come in," the voice instructed, sounding the slightest bit drunk.

Shizune-san knelt and slid the door open, pushing me within. This door was also closed after us. I, out of fear, did as I was told and kept my eyes upon the floor.

"How old are you?" Tsunade-sama asked. As she promised, Shizune-san answered for me.

"Eight this coming winter, Tsunade-sama."

"Eight? Hmm... come here," Tsunade-sama called out to me. I shuffled forward, my joints so stiff from the cold and my own numbing fear that my movements were forced and awkward. I found a fan under my chin suddenly, tugging my face upwards. Still, I tried to advert my gaze.

"Look at me," she commanded. I obeyed. Before me, I saw a commanding, imposing woman. She was young and she was beautiful, but there was a certain meanness in her face. She had eyes like mine. Eyes that had known true emptiness and loneliness. She peered into those eyes of mine, which had been a vague blue since birth.

"Too much water," she tsked, shaking her head.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune-san sounded as though she were scolding her, "Water can be very useful, to counter the fire of a certain young man." Tsunade-sama made a dismissive gesture with her hand, turning back to her sake bottle. I quickly lowered my eyes again.

"Hai, hai," she sighed, "It's too late to send him back anyway." Shizune bowed and pushed me down to do the same.

"Come," Shizune-san whispered once we had departed from Tsunade-sama's company, "I will show you to your room."

Once again I was guided through the labyrinth of hallways and passages, Shizune-san at my back. It was the stairwell to an attic that she lead me to, pushing me in and closing the door behind me. I heard the latch click shut. Feeling panicked in the dark stairwell, I began to pound my fists against the door.

"Let me out!" I sobbed, feeling my head throb from my tears and my distress, "Where's my brother? Kimimaro! Let me out! I have to go find Kimimaro!"

"Sasuke!" Shizune-san shouted from outside, "Keep him quiet! The master is sleeping!" I heard no movement behind me, but there abruptly were arms around my waist, pulling me back. A hand clamped over my mouth.

"Shh!" a low voice hissed, "Keep quiet or you'll upset Okaasan!" I only whimpered, shaking my head as I tried to free myself of him.

"Stop fighting me!" he growled, pinning me to the wooden floors. His hands gripped my wrists tightly and pulled them over my head. I stopped struggling, but my breath still rattled with my sobs. This was the first time I had a good look at him. My first impression was that he was handsome, possibly even as handsome as my brother. He had dark hair that hung over his eyes. His eyes were also like mine, glimmering a hollow red under the light streaming in from the cracks in the floorboards. I had not realized how many people in the world knew emptiness like I did. His expression was sullen, as though he had forgotten how to smile.

"Your family has sold you to this okiya,"continued Sasuke in his emotionless voice, "This is where you live now. Don't be weak. Crying is useless." At his words, I shut my eyes tightly and refused to open them. Sold? To this place? What about my family - my frail and heartbroken father and my poor, sickly mother? My brother, who always protected me?

"What about my brother?" I whimpered, sniffling still. Sasuke climbed off me after deciding that I was calm enough. I struggled to sit up, rubbing my eyes with my fists.

"He was probably sold to another okiya," shrugged Sasuke carelessly, flipping his hair out of his eyes. "You should worry about yourself. You can stay the way you are and become a slave and errand boy forever, or you can do as you're told and behave for Okaasan. If you are good enough, she will send you to school. You can learn to be a houkan and maybe earn enough to buy yourself out of this hell."

"H-houkan?" I asked softly, my curiosity winning over my grief. Water adapted to new paths quickly. Sasuke nodded and showed me a photo of a person wearing a beautiful kimono, holding a parasol in a way that could only be described as elegant.

"She's beautiful," I whispered, touching the paper lightly with my trembling hands.

"He. Houkan are men, and they are sometimes still called geisha," corrected Sasuke. His voice took on a light tone of pride as he continued, "That's the top geisha of this okiya. We are one of the best okiya in Tanzaku city, and he is our pride. Made his debut as a maiko at the age of just nine! He became a full fledged geisha at thirteen when his mizuage was auctioned, and it won a very good price. It paid off his debts to this okiya completely. Ever since, he's been one of the most well known and loved geisha in all of Tanzaku city. He pays for the clothes on our backs and the rice in our bowls."

"Who is he?" I asked in a quiet, reverent voice. It was an inspiring story, even to me. Success was not a word I was familiar with, with my humble roots as a fisherman's son.

"The head geisha of Uchiha okiya," Sasuke recited as though it were a title, "Itachi."

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So, what do you all think? is kind of nervous about a story of this magnitude I have all the characters casted in my head. Please guess the ones that have not been introduced yet! That's half the fun! I will post a guide to who has been introduced at the end of each chapter to help you keep track. Um... I adore reviews. A single review can keep me going for a while, and any reviews after that are absolute treasures. 

Chiyo - 'Roka' His name will be revealed when 'Roka' grows up, though it will probably become evident who he is by the time the chairman is introduced. 'Roka' means 'white crest of the wave'. I felt it suited his water theme.   
Tanaka - Gatou  
Satsu - Kimimaro  
Mother - Tsunade  
Auntie - Shizune  
Pumpkin - Sasuke  
Hatsumomo - Itachi


	2. Uchiha Itachi

Um, so, at this point in the story, I started to make stuff up about geisha and houkan. Please don't take it too seriously. It's just a fantasy offshoot done for plot. Don't take anything I say for fact and please use this as simply a means of entertainment.

This chapter is dedicated to IlluminatedShadow, who made me feel as though this fanfic was worth continuing, Kakashi-sensei, who helped me find terms and names time and time again, and Kassie, for supporting me. Thank you all.

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Early the next morning, Shizune-san woke us and sent Sasuke to work. She took me into the servant's kitchen and scrubbed me clean of the dirt and dust that had caked itself to my arms and legs, trying to wash away the primitive life I had lead. I could not have known it back then, but the life I was walking into would be even harder than being a fisherman's son. I would carry a longing for the salty sea air and the sound of the tide lulling me to sleep for the rest of my life. 

Tsunade-sama came in to check on us as Shizune-san was dressing me in a worker's kimono. She took the obi from Shizune-san and bound it tightly around my waist. I heard a light grinding noise and knew she was biting down on her pipe, perhaps in thoughtfulness.

"You are not a fisherman's son anymore," she reminded me, giving the obi an extra tug for good measure. "You belong to this okiya. Obey me, serve this okiya, and perhaps some good will come out of this. Now go. Sasuke is waiting for your help."

"Roka!" a vaguely sullen voice called, but he seemed in better spirits than last night. I saw Sasuke standing at the door, waving for me. I quickly joined him.

"Come, I want to show you something before we get to work," he whispered to me. He almost sounded friendly. He took my hand and pulled me upstairs, opposite of the way of our attic. We stopped outside a set of shoji doors that were not fully closed. The room was illuminated from within, candle light flickering quietly against the washi paper. Sasuke gestured for me to look in. Hesitantly, I did.

I drew in a sharp breath, eyes widening.

Within, someone was combing his hair with even, precise strokes, peering at himself in the mirror. He was stunning. It was a sight that burned itself into my memory. His hands were the first thing I noticed, my gaze drawn to them because they were in motion. They were large and powerful, yet his long fingers and precisely painted nails gave them an elegant and soft quality. His chest, half bared by his open kimono that had slid down his shoulders, looked as though it had been chiseled out of the finest jade, making even the slight rise and fall of his breaths hypnotic. His skin looked soft, but the amber candle light made his body seem as though he was made of gold. He was like a god to me. I at once understood the way Sasuke spoke of him. His face was another matter entirely. His eyes were like Sasuke's - red, but not hollow. His held a glimmer of hope, which only made him more beautiful. There were dark lines trailing diagonally downwards from the corners of his eyes, making him seem world-weary and worn. His lips, though thin, shimmered as though they were made of the softest silk. Even I had wanted to touch them, back then.

I took a step backward, intending to slip away, the moment too perfect to ruin. The floor beneath my feet creaked. I held my breath as Itachi's reflection stared straight into mine, his captivating red eyes widening. He whirled around.

"Sasuke! What have I said about spying on me?" he demanded, standing to move for the door. Sasuke scrambled back. I stood where I was, too transfixed in fascinated terror to move. Even the dark anger on Itachi's features accented his beauty.

He towered before me, glaring down, lips drawn in a thin line.

"You must be the new arrival," he commented softly, kneeling in one fluid gesture to make himself my height. "What's your name?"

"R-roka," I stammered. I released the breath I was holding with my answer, and, when I went to refill my lungs, I detected the spicy scent of cinnamon.

"Roka..." he repeated before reaching out to ruffle my hair, "Pleased to meet you. I'm sure Sasuke-chan over there has talked your poor ears off about me already, but I'm Itachi. I keep telling him to just come in, but he still gawks in from the doorway like I'm some sort of attraction." He laughed then, a deep, rumbling laugh that was sweet and warm.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. Please work hard," he concluded, motioning for Sasuke to join us. Hesitantly, Sasuke staggered over. Itachi tapped him between his eyebrows with his finger and smiled. "No more spying, Sasuke-chan, or I might not take you as my otouto when that time rolls around." Sasuke blushed, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed his forehead. It was the first time I ever saw him smile. It was also one of the last.

"Sasuke," I whispered as we left Itachi to do our morning chores, "Why does he have those lines under his eyes?" Sasuke sighed and shook his head.

"Remember what I said? He became a geisha at thirteen with his mizuage's auction. The lines were make him look older, because thirteen is a bit young, and he kept drawing them in afterwards," he informed in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh," I answered, startled, "What's a mizuage?" Sasuke sighed again and waved me off. When it was obvious he had no more to say on the subject, I changed it to a matter more pressing in my mind.

"Sasuke, when do we get to go outside?"

"Not any time soon," he answered as he handed me a wooden bucket and a sponge.

"What? Then how am I supposed to find my brother?"

"What, are you going to go check every okiya in Tanzaku city? Don't be ridiculous. Do you have any idea how many of them there are?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. He sighed at the puzzled expression on my face.

"Come here."

He turned his own bucket upside down and stood on it to reach a nearby window, pulling it open. He then stepped down and gestured for me to get on.

"Look."

I climbed up and peered out the window, gasping at the sight of almost uniform rooftops spanning as far as I could see. My heart crumbled. How was I ever supposed to find Kimimaro in all of that?

Sasuke nudged me down and closed the window, sighing heavily.

"Take my advice," he muttered, "and forget all about your life before you came here. It's better that way."

It sounded as though he spoke from experience, but I could not forget Kimimaro so easily. He had protected me ever since I was small, after all. Who was I to abandon him?

Weeks passed. I continued to work at the Uchiha okiya, scrubbing floors and preparing meals. I slept next to Sasuke in the cold attic, curling against him for warmth. The time was hard and passed slowly. My body grew thin and pale as my spirit withered, confined to the okiya day after day. Finally, one dreary afternoon, as I was putting away some of Itachi's kimono while listening to the soft patter of rain outside, Shizune-san came to me, smiling.

"Roka-chan!" she called out, motioning for me to come down, "Roka-chan, Tsunade-sama has decided! You and Sasuke-chan are servants no longer! Starting tomorrow, you are going to school! You are both going to become geisha!"

Early the next morning, Sasuke was dragging me out the front door. I only had one shoe on and I was shouting for him to slow down so that I could slip on the other, but his face was determined. He had a strange expression on that day, something between a smile and a grimace and a glare. I could understand, though. He was happy to be going to school, finally, but worried about his own abilities, pressured to succeed for Itachi's sake, and determined not to fail. I, on the other hand, was simply distracted. Sasuke caught my eyes wandering as he walked and he gave my hand a painful tug.

"Don't you dare ruin this for both of us, Roka," he hissed, "You can look for your brother some other time." Reluctantly, I allowed him to lead me to the school.

"There are two paths for we houkan," Sasuke informed me as we continued down the busy streets. "Either we can take the path of a male geisha and dress as they do and entertain as they do, or we can become true houkan, like Itachi. Basically, you can choose to embrace the feminine side of our profession, or the masculine side. Better start thinking about it now. Your classes are going to reflect it."

"What are you going to be?" I asked quietly, though I had a good idea already.

"A houkan, of course," he snorted softly, "I'll have to if I want to be Itachi's otouto."

"I think... I think I am more suited to be a geisha," I decided after a pause. I did not think I was suited for embracing masculinity. When I thought of the gentle hands of my fisherman father and the fair features of my beautiful brother - I knew I was definitely better suited for geisha work. Sasuke nodded.

"Thought as much. Here we are," he nodded at a grand building. I could hear distant, lulling music.. Once within, we hung plaques bearing our names on the sign-in wall. I lingered, scanning the names already there. Sasuke sighed impatiently and jerked me away.

"Look for your brother's name later!" he hissed, "We're late!" He pushed me down a hall where the scent of jasmine and tea intensified and the music playing grew louder.

"Go that way until you find the dance class! Just follow the other kids from there!" he instructed, "I have to go this way!" He disappeared down a separate corridor. I did as I was told.

My days after we filled with learning to dance as though I were a feather upon the wind, to pour tea as though I was born to do only that. I learned to glide upon my feet when walking. I was taught how to stand and how to sit. I began shimasen lessons as well as lessons in literature and poetry. Meanwhile, Sasuke would come back to the okiya with bruises from kendo, mind filled with rules for go and shogi. He learned history and tactics, to match the wit of any noble man. We both learned how to dress ourselves elegantly in kimono, though I was made to look softer and more feminine while he more masculine.

It was in the midst of our lessons that Itachi began to act strangely, until one day Sasuke came to me in the middle of our chores.

"Roka!" he whispered, "Come here!"

Surprised, I dropped my work and hurried over, peering at him expectantly.

"Itachi's been bringing home someone," he muttered into my ear. I almost detected jealousy in his tone. "To his room, late at night after Okaasan has passed out drunk. And sometimes-"

"Sasuke."

Itachi's voice shocked us both into silence.

"You shouldn't spy and you shouldn't gossip," he commented coldly. I looked into his eyes and saw the first traces of emptiness.

"Get back to work."

We both scrambled back to our chores. We never spoke of Itachi's liaisons with each other again.

I was passing Itachi's room later that day, on my way to bed after dusting. He must have caught my reflection in his mirror, for he stopped me.

"Roka," he summoned. I froze, not knowing what to do. All of the kindness that Itachi had shown to me the day after my arrival had evaporated these past few days.

"Y-yes, Itachi-san?" I asked meekly, "Is there anything you need?"

"Your brother came by a few days ago," his tone suggested that my brother had stopped by at a very inopportune time.

"Kimimaro?" I demanded, eyes widening. All of my fears fled in my desperation.

"Was I wrong to send him away?" his voice was light and mocking. I fell to my knees, scrambling to his side. I knelt low, forehead touching the tatami mat. My eyes burned with tears that were not quite yet there.

"Please, Itachi-san! Where is my brother staying? Please let me know!" I begged, unafraid of any punishment or anything Itachi would ask of me in return.

"I could," he began, slowly, thoughtfully, "...but you must swear yourself to me." I nodded at once. There was no hesitation, no worry in my mind that this might become a mistake I would live to regret.

"Then prove yourself to me and I will tell you where your brother is," he smiled. I pressed myself against the floor.

"Anything, Itachi-san, please!"

"We'll see."


	3. Rivals

Hello again! Welcome to chapter three. ; I would like to warn you all that starting now there will be things that allude to actual spoilers, such as, let's pretend that... Sasuke was traumatized by seeing a kitten drown when he was little. In the story, he might see a puppy being hit by a cart or something. Not that either of those happen. 3 Thank you all for your support and please enjoy. More characters are revealed in this chapter, and I hope they don't completely disappoint you.

Love, Hinaku.

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Every night, Itachi came home a little later, and I had to quietly unlock the front gate for him. I was always afraid that I would slip and make noise and wake Tsunade-sama up. Not only would that get both Itachi and me punished, Itachi would probably never tell me where Kimimaro was. My loyalty to Itachi was blind and foolish. I rushed to do anything he asked of me, thinking nothing of the consequences. I wanted to prove myself to him quickly so that I could see Kimimaro again sooner. 

It was the night that Itachi came home reeking of alcohol that this loyalty of mine cost me.

I could hear his laughter from down the street, accompanied by the high giggling of a friend he was bringing home. The two almost looked alike from a distance, with their long, dark hair and red eyes. Itachi stumbled in first.

"What's your problem?" asked Kurenai as she tried to pull him back, "You're being so cold to me, Itachi-chan!"

"I don't have a problem," Itachi grumbled in return, trying to break free of her grasp. They both lost their balance and almost fell, Kurenai clinging to Itachi for support.

"I know your problem!" she declared, "And his name is-" The sharp sound of flesh meeting flesh rang through the air. Kurenai staggered backwards, cradling her wounded cheek.

"Don't spoil his name with your dirty little mouth," Itachi hissed in a half snarl. The floorboards creaked. Itachi's gaze snapped over to where I was and found Sasuke standing behind me blearily, watching Itachi with a mixture of shock and confusion. The emptiness in Itachi's eyes receded and his expression softened.

"Oh, Sasuke, my future otouto," he greeted with a half drunken smile, "Go back to bed, ne? Nothing's wrong. Kurenai-chan and I are just playing a game."

Sasuke and I exchanged a glance. A reassurance like that might have satisfied perhaps a four year old, but we knew better. Still, Sasuke played along. Itachi was his idol, after all. He nodded and turned to quietly sneak back to bed.

"Kurenai-chan," slurred Itachi as Sasuke left, pulling her in after him, "I have... I have something to show you."

I cringed as Kurenai stumbled into the door frame, praying that the noise would not wake Tsunade-sama. By the next day, I would almost wish it had.

Itachi stumbled to the receiving room, producing an elaborate outer kimono coat from the folds of his own clothing, laying it out on the floor. It was beautiful, white and shimmering with pale blue embroidery. Kurenai gasped, seeming to wake a little from her drunken stupor.

"Is that-" she began, eyes wide as she knelt to stroke the luxurious silk.

"Oh yes," grinned Itachi with a certain malice. Now that Sasuke was gone again, so were all the traces of the Itachi I had met so many weeks before. His expression was dark with promised cruelty. "My most beloved rival should get better help. I bribed his maid and the little boy was more than happy to bring it to me. In fact, I think that the boy would have brought it to me regardless of the bribe."

"Well," Kurenai chuckled, "That's what you get when your help is forced rather than by choice." As she spoke, Itachi drew out an inkwell and a brush. Kurenai fell into a shocked silence. I did not know why I stayed, watching, though I suspect Itachi would have stopped me if I had tried to leave. I still had a major role to play in the tragic play that was Itachi's life.

"Roka," Itachi called, motioning me to his side. Half unwillingly, I joined them. He held the brush out to me, nodding at the kimono.

"Go on," he commanded. I bit down on my lip. He wanted me to ruin such a beautiful thing? Was the owner of this the reason Itachi had grown so cold lately? Those questions ran through my mind as I hesitated.

"You swore yourself to me," he reminded me in a soft, silken whisper against my ear. I shivered and closed my eyes, taking the brush from him. My hands trembled as I dipped it into the inkwell. Eyes still shut, I lowered the brush toward the kimono.

'Kimimaro...'

With my brother's smiling face in mind, I brought the brush down on the kimono. Itachi's sadistic laughter rumbled deeply through the room, inspiring a nervous chuckle out of Kurenai. After the first stroke, the rest were easy. Once you have gone too far to turn back, it is easy to run further into darkness.

Itachi allowed me to stop when he decided I had done enough damage to the kimono and he carefully folded it up, thrusting it back into my hands when he was done.

"Come with us," he ordered, pushing me out the door without giving me time to slip on my shoes. He half lead, half dragged me to a nearby okiya.

"Leave it on their doorstep," he told me, pointing to the porch, "And don't let anyone see you."

I forced myself to be brave for Kimimaro's sake and did as I was told, creeping up to the front door as quietly as I could. It was in vain. As soon as I set foot on the porch, the doors flew open. I fell backwards in surprise.

A tall, imposing man stood silhouetted in the doorway, as breathtaking as Itachi if not even more so. He looked perhaps older than Itachi, but there was a commanding grace and precise attractive quality in his timeless features. His eyes were white within white, seemingly sightless but felt as though they pierced right through me. His intense gaze left me to look upon the bundle of cloth in my arms. His expression hardened. I trembled.

"Come in," he ordered shortly. Something in his voice left no room for disobedience or argument. I slowly forced myself the rest of the way to the door and entered. A boy around my age, perhaps a bit younger, was kneeling just within and I saw him only when I entered. He quickly adverted his gaze from me and went to close the door. His eyes were the same strange white as the geisha's.

I had no shoes to remove and I did not want to insult this geisha further by dirtying his floors, so I stood where I was, heart hammering frantically in my chest.

"Bring it to me," he ordered his servant. The ruined kimono was taken from me and handed over to its owner, who inspected it slowly. His frightfully sharp eyes fixated on his cowed servant boy.

"Hiashi-sama-" the boy began, but was cut off with a sharp gesture.

"Neji, you will be punished later. Go to your room," Hiashi sighed. The young boy glared darkly at nothing in particular, stood, and stormed away. Now Hiashi's eyes turned on me. I shrank back.

"Who did this?" he demanded. I bit my tongue. I could not betray Itachi, not out of any love for him but for the sake of my brother. I would endure anything to get Kimimaro back.

"I am not stupid, boy," his voice was steady but showed a hint of irritation. I could tell his anger was the kind that smoldered quietly beneath cold embers, which was the most frightening kind of all. "But if you will not name him the blame will fall on you." Though my brow furrowed and I sniffed, I offered him no information. He shook his head and sighed heavily.

"Go home," he dismissed me with a flick of his wrist, "I will alert your okiya of this in the morning."

I turned and fled, my footsteps in time with the racing of my heart. Of course Itachi and Kurenai had long since left themselves. I returned to the Uchiha okiya with cuts on the soles of my feet and scrapes on my knees from stumbling and falling several times in my haste. I numbly did my best to wash away the grime with the rain runoff from the roof before I curled up in my futon that night; cold, wet, and in pain. My heart was heavy with fear and a sense of foreboding for what the morning would bring.

I could hear the cane whistle through the air before it connected with my exposed flesh with a sickening crack. I screamed. The stones against my cheek cut into them as my body jerked from the pain of the blow. Tsunade-sama's eyes were narrowed and cold with fury as she raised the cane again.

"Do you have any idea how much damage you have done?" she demanded as she brought it down upon my back again. Another pained cry tore from my throat. I wept, tasting blood in my mouth from when I had bitten my cheek at the first blow.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune-san was calling, voice laden with concern and outright worry, "Tsunade-sama!" She was also trying to take the cane away from her.

"Do you know who that kimono belonged to? Do you know how much it cost?" Each question brought another strike down upon me.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune finally succeeded in wrenching the cane away, "Let me do it, Tsunade-sama! You don't know your own strength!" Tsunade glared at Shizune, hesitated, then turned around and walked away. Shizune directed her attention at me.

"Roka-chan," her voice sounded strained, "Why have you done this? Itachi's trick is going to make you pay dearly! Hiashi is one of the top geisha of our district! Those two... Roka-chan, please, don't listen to Itachi anymore! Next time it will be much worse! Now, I am going to have to punish you. I won't go easy on you, because if I do Tsunade-sama will just do it again herself."

She raised the cane. It connected with my small body with enough force and sting to bring further tears to my eyes, words melting into nothing more than whimpers of pain. Somewhere between the eighth and tenth strike my back went nearly numb. My screams ceased to ring through the courtyard, but tears continued to wet my face. A short while or an eternity later, I could not tell because I lost touch with the flow of time, Shizune-san stopped, sighing sadly as she straightened to leave.

"I'm sorry, Roka-chan," she whispered, "but this is the life you were sold into. The sooner you grow used to it the brighter your future can be."

When she left, I stayed where I was, lying quietly upon the hard, cold stones as tears continued to well in my eyes and splash upon the rocks beside my head. I was paralyzed in my pain, body feeling too broken to move. I could not even turn my head when I heard footsteps behind me, growing louder. A pair of sandaled feet stopped near my face and I saw nails that were painted a light purple. My heart stopped.

Itachi knelt. His face looked soft and worn, as though he were regretting what he had caused. Gently, he scooped me into his arms. I winced and he cringed too.

"I..Itachi-san," I rasped, voice hoarse from my previous screams.

"Aa?" he asked softly in return.

"My... 'niisan," I begged.

"Tomorrow," he whispered into my ear, "Rest well tonight and I will take you to him in the afternoon of tomorrow."

My heart felt light as a bird and I smiled weakly. Itachi smiled back, almost just as strained. By the next day, my heart took wing and threatened never to return.

Sasuke came to my side that night and spread ointment over my back. His hands were soft, warm, and just what I needed to sooth my hurts. I remember kissing him very lightly on the cheek in gratitude. I could not be sure with the poor lighting of the attic, but I was almost certain he blushed.

I was allowed to sleep in the next day, deemed unfit for chores. I was only awakened at all because Itachi demanded my assistance to accompany him to the teahouses. Remembering his promise, I forced myself to get up and dressed. Sasuke's ointment helped a lot, though. Other than a deep ache in my bones, I could move well enough. I followed Itachi out of the okiya, obediently holding his go board for him. He lead me through an unfamiliar path through the inner city. I watched the surroundings go from comfortable to decrepit, lovingly tended to neglected. My heart sank. Kimimaro had been in such awful surroundings since we arrived? I hate myself just then, for not trying to find him sooner, for not trying harder, for only getting here just now. I was still running these regrets through my head when Itachi stopped and pointed to a lone building nestled at the end of a dead end street.

"There," he directed, and that was all he said. He took his go board from me and was gone.

I was too desperate to be nervous or scared and so I ran forward, knocking on the front doors loudly. An older man with disgusting, greasy hair that was some odd shade of graying brown answered.

"Please, let me see Kimimaro!" I begged him. He adjusted his round sunglasses, sneered, and slammed the door in my face. I stood a moment, stunned, before I tried again, pounding on the doors as I cried my brother's name. I stopped only when my arms became too sore to continue and I stumbled back. I could not believe it. All I had sacrificed and I still could not see my brother? I made my way back toward Uchiha okiya slowly, in a daze.

By pure chance, I caught a flicker of silver hair out of the corner of my eye. When I turned, it was gone and all I saw was a window that was only composed of vertical bars with no washi paper coverings. I walked to it, standing on a barrel to look in. At first, all I could see was a strange, middle aged man whose hair was beginning to thin. His half exposed back was slick with sweat and his body convulsed every few seconds, panting like a dog. After a few moments, he shifted and stood. My eyes followed him because he was in motion while everything else was still and I watched him close his clothes and tie his obi. He had two strange circles on his forehead. Laughing cruelly, he took a few bills from within his coat and tossed them out. My eyes followed the motion of the money as they drifted down to land on a pale, naked chest.

'Kimimaro!'

My brother slowly closed his own kimono, slowly enough for me to see the stains of white and red smeared upon his thighs. I had not fully understood the implications then. We both waited for the man to leave, but instead he knelt, parting Kimimaro's kimono again. He slipped his hand between my brother's legs and dragged his thumb through a patch of red. He then pressed his blood stained finger against my brother's forehead, making two marks there similar to his own. His smile sickened me.

"Pity I can't take you home," he slurred.

"Get out," my brother whispered quietly, staring vacantly into space. The man chuckled softly and brought his face close to my brother's, dragging his tongue along Kimimaro's jaw. I felt ill. He finally stood and left, laughing to himself the entire way. My brother began to tremble, angrily wiping away the marks on his forehead before pressing his face into his hands. I could not watch any longer.

"Kimimaro!" I cried, leaping off the barrel to run into the room through a side door. "'niisan! Oniisan!"

Kimimaro's attention snapped quickly to me. He stopped shaking, but I could see fresh tear trails upon his cheeks. Cringing, I reached out with my small hands to wipe them away.

"Roka!" he whispered, drawing me into an embrace, "Oh, Roka, what took you so long?" He sounded near tears. "I went to your okiya weeks ago!"

"Oh, Kimimaro," I nearly wanted to cry as well, "They would not tell me where you were! I did my best to find you!" Kimimaro nodded, kissing me gently on the forehead.

"It's okay. You're here now. Let's run away together, Roka! We'll go home, we'll go to another city, we can go anywhere - just away from here!" he urged me and I nodded. I did not want us to stay in this awful place either.

"Let's go now," I begged, pulling on his hands. Kimimaro shook his head.

"No, tomorrow. I will steal some money for us. Meet me at the bridge at the edge of town as soon as the sun sets. You must be on time or I won't wait for you, Roka! I can't, I can't stay here any longer. I will die, Roka. Please. Tomorrow, as soon as the sun sets."

"Why not today?" I asked as we heard footsteps draw near us.

"Kimimaro?" someone called. My brother's face grew ashen and he pushed me back toward the door.

"Not today, Roka! Tomorrow, don't forget! Now you have to go!"

It was getting dark by the time I made my way back to the okiya, slipping through the front gates and into the courtyard. The skies were pounding the streets mercilessly with rain. Because of the constant patter of the rain, I barely caught the soft moan from within the storage shed. Thinking I had heard something strange, I turned toward it and saw the door ajar. I went to close it out of habit. I heard another similar moan as I drew closer. I looked in.

It was Itachi.

His eyes met mine and cleared of whatever clouded them.

"Roka!" he cried in surprise, pushing off the slender man that was on top of him.

"Why did you come back?" he demanded, pulling me inside the shed, "I gave you the perfect chance to escape with your brother!" My hand struck the tool box as I tried to struggle upright, toppling it and filling the courtyard with the sound of metal striking wood. Lights went on inside the house. Itachi's eyes widened with fear.

"You have to go," he whispered to his guest.

"Itachi," he sighed as he climbed out of the shed, "I can't keep seeing you like this."

"What?" Itachi asked, sounding surprised. "What do you mean?"

"All the hiding, the deceit. I can't do it. It's shameful."

"Shisui, please!"

Tsunade-sama's distinct footfalls could be heard clearly now. Itachi closed his eyes and placed one last kiss on Shisui's lips.

"Go, we'll talk later."

Shisui sighed and turned away, running out of the okiya just as Tsunade-sama entered. There was desperation in Itachi's eyes as he forced some money into my hands and dragged me out of the shed.

"What is going on?" Tsunade-sama asked as she stepped out into the courtyard, Shizune-san close behind. "Who's there?"

Itachi threw me to the ground.

"I caught Roka stealing money," he accused, "He was going to run away with his whore of a brother." Tsunade's cold anger caught me at once. My eyes widened and I scrambled backwards, shaking my head. My body remembered the last beating too well. I would not take blame for Itachi again.

"It's not true!" I cried, shaking my head, "He was in there, with another man! His name was Shisui!" Itachi's eyes widened then. He had not expected me to betray him so quickly. Tsunade-sama's fearsome gaze fell upon Itachi.

"Hold his arms," she instructed Shizune, who obeyed with surprising speed. Itachi set his jaw, gritting his teeth. Tsunade-sama pressed a hand between his legs. She scowled, slapping him hard across the face a moment later.

"You are a geisha, not some lowly whore," she hissed, "This disgusting activity will stop. You are never to see him again. Shizune, lock all of the doors and gates. No one goes in or out." I paled, thinking of my promise to my brother.

"Roka, go to your room," Shizune-san called to me. Numbly, I obeyed.

My chores dragged on the next day. I was alone, Itachi confined to his room and Sasuke attending to him. My heart rested in my throat from noon onwards as I watched the sun slowly descend. At dusk, I finished the last of my washing and returned to my room. I had only one idea of how to get to the bridge, and that involved scaling the rooftops.

I climbed out through the attic window, slowly making my way on the round roof tiles. They were hard to walk on because of the humidity caused by the rain from the night before. It was also hard to see because the sun no longer offered any substantial light. I had to drop onto my hands and knees after a while, inching along agonizingly slowly. It became even darker, until I could barely see what was directly ahead of my. Imagine my surprise when my hand groped for the next tile and caught only air. I lost my balance, toppling forward.

I fell.

* * *

Ahahaha- ... I try to end at cheesy bad places like that. Anyway! ahem Updated character lists now: 

Chiyo - 'Roka'  
Tanaka - Gatou  
Satsu - Kimimaro  
Mother - Tsunade  
Auntie - Shizune  
Pumpkin - Sasuke  
Hatsumomo - Itachi  
Koichi - Shisui  
Mameha - Hiashi  
Mameha's servant - Neji  
Hatsumomo's friend - Kurenai  
Guy who was with Kimimaro - head of Kimimaro's old clan. Man, they all looked creepy.


End file.
